Australia announces new, blind-friendly currency note

Canberra, Feb 17 (IANS) Australia will introduce a brand new ten dollar currency note in September featuring tactile "raised dots" to help the visually-impaired.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced the decision on Friday, which will retain its blue colouring but will feature all-new images of native Australian flora and fauna, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Reserve Bank said the new notes will be introduced in September, while all existing ten dollar bank notes in circulation will also remain "legal tender".

RBA Governor said Philip Lowe said the 10 dollar banknote would also continue to honour two famous Australian writers on both the front and back.

"The ten dollar banknote celebrates two famous Australian writers, Dame Mary Gilmore and AB 'Banjo' Paterson. Their work is recognized in several design elements on the banknote, including images of a pen nib in two of the clear windows and excerpts of their poetry in microprint," Lowe said in a statement released on Friday.

The RBA said the new note would feature "new security features" to ensure they are kept safe from counterfeiting, while the raised bumps will also return after debuting on the five dollar note released last year.

"These security features are similar to those in the five dollar banknote issued in 2016, such as the top-to-bottom clear window and the patch with a rolling colour effect," the RBA statement said.

"Each banknote in the new series will feature a different species of native Australian wattle and bird. The ten dollar banknote features the Bramble Wattle and the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo."